A growing body of research is forming around the role of exercise in heart disease and other ailments. Turns out, exercise alone may not be enough to keep a heart attack at bay. Today so many of us sit so much of the time that no amount of exercise can counteract some of deleterious effects […]

Sometimes it seems donors tell us more than we want to know. But here are some important thoughts donors may not share with you. #1 – You set up a visit as if you only want to see me. You are making a mistake by not involving my spouse. #2 – My name is not “Friend.” […]

When social science researchers who study successful marriages ask couples their secret to staying together for 40, 50, even 60 years, one of the key contributing variables which emerges is predictability. Specifically, couples will point to the day-in, day-out predictably dependable behaviors of their mate. He gets up at 6:00am, gets the paper and starts […]

Donors expect your every direct mail letter to be perfectly personalized. They expect your special events to begin precisely on time, to last just long enough (but not too long!), to be inspiring and engaging. They expect to receive a gift receipt before the ink dries on their electronic check. They expect your website to […]

The word “philanthropy” is said to have been coined some 2,500 years ago in ancient Greek. It means, “the love of humanity.” The vast majority of your long time donors and your major donors are philanthropic. They give in support of your institution because they believe it will make a difference in the lives of […]

I once worked for a President who was known to say, “we can never say thank you enough to our donors.” A wonderful sentiment for 501(c)3 leaders and advancement professionals to embrace. And, as important as it is to thank donors often, it also is important to thank them in meaningful and customized ways. For […]